Improved screening for middle-aged women is partly the reason, however the authors also credit a reduction in take-up of HRT by menopausal women.

The treatment is used to ease uncomfortable symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes, migraines, disrupted sleep, mood changes and depression by topping up low levels of hormones produced by the body.

A link between the treatment and a heightened risk of breast cancer was first suggested in 2002, but later widely dispute.

The new study by the University of Milan showed that while the rate of deaths from breast cancer for the EU as a whole is predicted to decreased 11.8 per cent between 2014 and 2019, the improvement in the UK is 17.7 per cent.

That puts Britain behind only Spain among the big Western European countries, and ahead of France, Germany and Italy.

However, British experts have said that the rate of improvement reflects the UK’s poor starting point.

Only Poland is predicted to see a deteriorating death rate - two per cent - in 2019.

Professor Fabrice Andre, who edits Annals of Oncology, which published the new study, said: “It is clear that despite the good news that death rates are declining in most cancers, the bad news is that, due to growing and aging populations, the number of people who will die from cancer is increasing.

“This represents a significant burden on society, and more needs to be done to prevent cancers occurring in the first place, particularly by reducing the numbers of people who smoke and are overweight.”

Breast Cancer Now, which campaigns for patients in the UK, welcomed the research but questioned the impact of declining take-up of HRT in improving death rates.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, the charity’s chief executive, said: “While taking HRT is known to increase the risk of breast cancer, it is a really personal decision for women, which is why it’s so important that everyone fully understands the benefits and risks and discusses them with their GP."